ATS Panels

[dnf777]

A little change of heart here with this DIYer. I hate buying anything I can make myself, but that is changing. You cant just buy enough supplies to build one or two acoustic panels, so you end up with more than you need, and nowadays, even the unit cost is often equal or greater than the finished product. (Manufacturers have bulk purchase power…we dont)

So….enter ATS basic panel. Basic 2’x2’ beveled edge panel total delivered to door: $52.00. Seems a little high, yes, but go price lumber, Corning 73, coffee bags, ets. Do the math, and its darn close. Basically comes down to how you value your time, skill, and effort. I swallowed hard, and ordered a few more to finish my plans.

I do not have the technical savvy to quantify reflected sound waves, but I can tell you egg-crate doesnt even come close to what the ATS does. If you stand with one ear close to the panel, its so “dead” on that side, it almost throws your sense of balance off a wee bit.

[rick-slo]

I'm a do it your selfer for a lot of things but as I mentioned in the "Danger from acoustic absorption panels?" thread it makes much more sense to
me to just buy the ATS panels. They are very well made with a nice edge taper and come with hanging brackets. Got twenty of them.

[Chipotle]

FYI some of the acoustics companies also sell kits -- wood frame, insulation, cloth to cover and hanging brackets if desired. Price is in between pre-built and separate parts, as you might expect.

It can also be handy if you don't want the wood backing that comes on many of the pre-builts, so you have complete pass-through without the backing reflecting any sound. You'd have to put your own fabric on the back; I just bought some muslin at the local fabric store.

At Acoustimac, a 2'x4'x2" panel with mineral wool kit with the wood backing and wall mount clips costs $45; the pre-made panel runs $70. You save $25 and the only work you'd have to do is a little stapling. If you don't want the wood backing, save $4 on the kit and use that to buy some fabric for the back.

[b1j]

“Danger” OP here.

The only danger from pre-made Rockwool panels, it seems, is the $100+ for each 24”x48”x3.5” unit. (I noticed GIK has them for $90, but then there’s tax and shipping, so $100 is the floor.)

DIYing one or two panels also doesn’t make sense when a) you can’t buy just that much Rockwool and b) the total cost difference isn’t worth the headaches. Possible solution here is if you can go in on a batt of Rockwool with a friend.

For me the solution seems to be to make eight panels, which I’ll probably want to have anyway. Three years ago the materials would have come to about $20 to $25 a panel. Today it’s more like $35 to $40 per, if you want to use 1x4 wood frames instead of 1/4” MDF. But at eight panels that’s about a $400 to $500 savings — if all goes according to plan in making something for the first time! (What could go wrong?)

[KevWind]

I can also recommend GIK Acoustics https://www.gikacoustics.com/?gclid=...RoCBLkQAvD_BwE



The basic 3.65" thick 2' by 4' panel is $72.95 in 15 standard fabric colors.
The offer some optional colors and the also have ART panels but they are twice as expensive

[rick-slo]

Originally Posted by Chipotle

FYI some of the acoustics companies also sell kits -- wood frame, insulation, cloth to cover and hanging brackets if desired. Price is in between pre-built and separate parts, as you might expect.

It can also be handy if you don't want the wood backing that comes on many of the pre-builts, so you have complete pass-through without the backing reflecting any sound. You'd have to put your own fabric on the back; I just bought some muslin at the local fabric store.

At Acoustimac, a 2'x4'x2" panel with mineral wool kit with the wood backing and wall mount clips costs $45; the pre-made panel runs $70. You save $25 and the only work you'd have to do is a little stapling. If you don't want the wood backing, save $4 on the kit and use that to buy some fabric for the back.

Using them free standing? Otherwise:
"Acoustically, the solid back against the wall is about the same as the panel with no back against the wall. Either way the sound enters the front of the panel, is reflected by the back and/or wall, and exits through the front again."

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by b1j

“Danger” OP here.

The only danger from pre-made Rockwool panels, it seems, is the $100+ for each 24”x48”x3.5” unit.

DIYing one or two panels also doesn’t make sense when a) you can’t buy just that much Rockwool and b) the total cost difference isn’t worth the headaches.

For me the solution seems to be to make eight panels. Three years ago the materials would have come to about $20 to $25 a panel. Today it’s more like $35 to $40 per, if you want to use 1x4 wood frames instead of 1/4” MDF. But at eight panels that’s about a $400 to $500 savings — if all goes according to plan in making something for the first time! (What could go wrong?)

Question what is a $400 to $500 savings , DYI over assembled from mfg. ?

Also this is just me, but I would not even consider 1/4 " MDF I would use 1" by 4" Pine

[Chipotle]

Originally Posted by rick-slo

Using them free standing? Otherwise:
"Acoustically, the solid back against the wall is about the same as the panel with no back against the wall. Either way the sound enters the front of the panel, is reflected by the back and/or wall, and exits through the front again."

Right... but I didn't mount mine flush against the wall. An air gap behind gives you the benefit of more absorption and of absorbing lower frequencies. I actually ordered a few pre-made panels without the wood backs, but special-ordering them that way didn't save me any money. I then attached some 2" spacers on the back of the frame to get them off the wall.

No backing is preferred for the free-standing panels as well.

[b1j]

Originally Posted by KevWind

Question what is a $400 to $500 savings , DYI over assembled from mfg. ?

Also this is just me, but I would not even consider 1/4 " MDF I would use 1" by 4" Pine

Saving would be 8($100 - $40) = ~$480 for eight panels. You said you saw a GIK for $72; I missed that. Those would cut off about $140 of the saving.

Yes, I never would have considered thin MDF, but I saw a reasonable-looking design based on it. It beefs up the structure with a 1x2” frame at the back. I’ll try to post the link next.

I may well build mine that way, because it will help me avoid the potato-sack look. But I also intend to frame the outside in 1x4 pine or something because I’ll be moving them around a lot. I might even hinge them in pairs.

Here’s that link:

https://youtu.be/HO7aeraKLsM

[rick-slo]

Pictured is my set up (ATS panels 24X48X4 and 48X48 and on the ceiling 24X48X2 hanging near the ceiling).
A few more up now than when the picture was taken a few years ago. Totally different sonic atmosphere in
this room.


]

[b1j]

Originally Posted by rick-slo

Pictured is my set up (ATS panels 24X48X4 and 48X48 and on the ceiling 24X48X2 hanging near the ceiling).
A few more up now than when the picture was taken a few years ago. Totally different sonic atmosphere in
this room.


]

This looks ideal, but my interior designer/life partner would look askance on hanging those "things" on the wall, much less on the ceiling. No, it's portable gobos for me.

[TBman]

I just had 2 of the ATS 4'x2'x4" panels delivered today. I have 5 now. First I'm going to try the 2 additional where they are and later on I'll place them on the sides to see how it sounds.

It's so easy just to order what you want and have time to do other things.

[deejayen]

Originally Posted by TBman

I just had 2 of the ATS 4'x2'x4" panels delivered today. I have 5 now. First I'm going to try the 2 additional where they are and later on I'll place them on the sides to see how it sounds.

Hi Barry. I just wondered if you'd had a chance to try the additional panels, and if so did you much difference with them behind you (compared to not having them)?

[jim1960]

Do all ATS panels have wooden backs?

[TBman]

Originally Posted by deejayen

Hi Barry. I just wondered if you'd had a chance to try the additional panels, and if so did you much difference with them behind you (compared to not having them)?

I haven't put them behind me yet, but I did put them on the sides (recording in my signature). Hopefully this weekend I'll have time to experiment.